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MCC faculty, unionized employees support no confidence vote on Kress

Here's a breakdown of the stories right now at www.democratandchronicle.com.
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File photo: Anne Kress, president of the Monroe Community College, talks about the partnership with RTS for free transportation for students during a press conference at the new Downtown Campus.(Photo: CARLOS ORTIZ, @cfortiz_dandc/staff photographer)Buy Photo

Out of over 500 voting faculty members and unionized employees at Monroe Community College, 88 percent supported a vote of no confidence in President Anne Kress, the Faculty Senate and Faculty Association announced Monday.

The voting individuals were asked to respond to a proposed resolution from the Faculty Senate and Faculty Association — which represents teaching and professional employees — that included 68 specific charges or concerns against Kress and her team.

The resolution asked trustees to conduct a full review of Kress' administration and to consider the possibility of dismissals.

MCC responded to the vote Monday, saying the college administration was "disappointed" in the vote, which they say was "very clearly related to the College's ongoing contract negotiations with its Faculty Association union," which are currently in mediation.

"MCC remains committed to negotiating at the table and looks forward to achieving an agreement that respects our talented employees and the current fiscal climate for higher education," the statement read.

"President Kress and her administration are dedicated to working with our shared governance partners and all employees for the benefit of our students."

This is the latest in faculty complaints of declining morale and lost confidence in Kress and leadership going back several years. But it is thought to be the first time a president of the college has faced such a vote since Moses S. Koch in November 1980. Koch, the second president of MCC, left for a job at Murray State University a month later.

"It is our shared opinion that the president has failed to secure even the most minimum level of confidence from the employees at Monroe Community College," the resolution states, resulting in "an environment unconducive to the public, taxpayer-supported education of our students."

Kress has served as MCC president since 2009, overseeing the downtown campus move from Sibley Square to its new $78 million home on State Street.

In a release on the vote, the union stated that MCC is a model institution because of the "work, dedication and passion of its employees," and in spite of Kress' leadership.

"We do not wish to speak negatively about MCC and this was a difficult decision," the union said in its statement. "After years of unsuccessfully attempting to dialogue through shared governance and through direct presentation of our concerns to the Board and President Kress, this step became necessary."

Employee representatives plan to officially present the voting results to MCC's Board of Trustees during a board meeting on Dec. 3.

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Anne Kress(Photo: file photo)

A no confidence vote is largely symbolic.

MCC board chairwoman Barbara Lovenheim released a statement earlier this month expressing the board's "full support" in Kress and her team. Lovenheim went on to state that employees have many avenues to participate in college governance, and that she "recognizes that differences of opinion exist and understands that regulations are in place to work through these differences in a fair manner."

The two sides currently are locked in a protracted labor contract negotiation, the third straight time a mediator has been called in to settle matters, officials said.

In their 68-point resolution, faculty and staff set out a broad list of concerns alleging a "failure of the public trust," with claims of contractual violations, employee intimidation, arbitrary discipline, a lack of senior-level accountability, turnover in high-level positions, and a lack of response to excessive enrollment declines, particularly in the downtown campus.

Kress is "doing a fabulous job externally," said Faculty Senate President Amanda Colosimo last week, as Kress is visible in the community, on all the right boards, knows all the right people. But within MCC there have been numerous reorganizations in recent years, an increase in administrators and decline in the student experience.

"She is so externally focused," Colosimo said, "that, internally, we are kind of a mess."

Kress responded in an essay submitted to the Democrat and Chronicle this month. In part it reads. "Recently, MCC Faculty Senate President Amanda Colosimo publicly shared her opinion that our College is, in her words, “kind of a mess.” While she is entitled to express her thoughts, her comments do a terrible disservice to an outstanding and extraordinary institution."

Kress' statement goes on to highlight other positive indicators of MCC performance including its high employee and faculty retention rates, low tuition fees and various support systems for its students.

"No, MCC is not a mess. We are a model. Every day, we rededicate ourselves to assuring that our College does our community proud. Our students — and you —deserve nothing less," Kress concludes.

Falling enrollment

MCC is not unlike other community colleges in its struggles with falling enrollment, a decline that has been leveling out. But the complaint alleges a 35 percent drop during Kress' tenure — fourth-highest in the State University of New York system, according to the resolution.

MCC remains the third largest SUNY community college, despite enrollment declines of 4.7 percent this fall, while downtown enrollment is up 2.3 percent, the college countered.